


Jamie's influence

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Flufftober [11]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Seb wants a pet, soft dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Flufftober day 11 finding/adopting a pet
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: Flufftober [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947490
Comments: 5
Kudos: 48





	Jamie's influence

**Author's Note:**

> I've written way too many robron-get-a-dog-fics already so I thought I'd do something a little different this time

Robert knew who he'd married, ok. He knew exactly who he'd married.

He knew Aaron loved dogs and would love to own one again after losing Clyde the way he had.

And it wasn't that Robert didn't like dogs or was against ever owning one, it was just that he didn't want the poor pup to be home alone all day. They both had busy jobs and a three and seven year old to take care of. That didn't leave much time for a dog. Or any pet really.

They'd talked about it plenty of times, and in the end Aaron always agreed that it wouldn't be fair on the dog to get shoved into their busy schedules.

Only Seb turned out to be very much his father's son and loved everything with four legs and a tail, and had basically helped Aaron convince Robert that they, in fact, did have time for a dog.

They’d been looking at shelter dogs online for a while and had almost decided on which one they wanted.

But thanks to one afternoon at the vet’s with Jamie, who was training to be a reptile specialist, Seb had lost interest in dogs and had started asking his parents for a lizard or a snake.

“I’ll take good care of it, I promise! And uncle Jamie can help it if it’s sick.”

“Maybe when you’re older.” Robert said, looking at Aaron for help.

“And when your sister is older. She’s too young now.”

“But I can teach her. Uncle Jamie will help.”

“I thought we’d agreed to go see that dog from the shelter? The one we saw on the website? Sunshine?” Aaron tried. “You and Ruby both liked that one.”

“Yeah… but dogs are boring. And smelly.”

“And you think lizards won’t smell?” Aaron asked him. “You still have to clean their… home… and feed them baby mice.”

“Uncle Jamie showed me one that eats crickets.” Seb argued. “He said he could teach me how to take care of them. And it can live in my room.”

“You’ve got it all figured out, haven’t you?” Robert asked and Seb nodded.

“So I can get one then? One that eats crickets?”

“We’ll think about it.” Robert settled on.

He was going to kill uncle Jamie.

A few days later, Robert noticed Jamie getting out of his car in front of the vet’s and walked over to him.

“I want a word with you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Thanks to you my seven year old has been banging on about getting a lizard as pet instead of the dog he’d all but picked out from the shelter website.”

“Oh.” Jamie smiled. “I didn’t know I had such an influence on him.”

“Oh no he thinks you’re the coolest. It’s uncle Jamie this, uncle Jamie that.” Robert told him. “I haven’t heard your name this often since you and Belle got together properly and the whole family had an opinion on it.” He sighed. “He was only supposed to help Paddy clip some nails and things like that.”

“Paddy took the afternoon off to go do something with Eve.” Jamie explained. “So he helped me because Vanessa was in surgery.”

Robert nodded.

“So where did the reptile talk come from?”

“A woman came in with her bearded dragon for a check-up. He was pretty friendly. Named Paddy actually.” Jamie said with a chuckle. “She let Seb hold it and showed him some pictures of her other beardies.”

“Right.”

“Look, I’m not busy right now. I can show you some things, give you some information, if you’ve got time to come into the surgery.”

Robert checked his watch. It was his turn to pick up the kids from school and nursery, but he still had some time. He nodded and followed Jamie inside.

“We actually have a bearded dragon in the back, right now. Apollo hurt his foot and might need to have a toe amputated.” Jamie walked through to the admittance area of the surgery and opened a cage. “Do you want to hold him?”

“Er no, I’m alright, thanks.” Robert said, eyeing the lizard in Jamie’s hands. It seemed calm and friendly enough but he wasn’t sure if he actually wanted one in his house. “Would one of those be a good pet for kids?”

“Sure. They’re pretty easy going and not that difficult to take care of. Lots of kids love them. They’re less likely to bite than a hamster.”

Robert nodded.

“Would you let Milly have one?”

“I would. But she’s scared of them.” Jamie explained as he put the dragon back in the cage. “Typical isn’t it? A reptile vet’s daughter is scared of reptiles.”

“Hey, I have a husband who would fill our house with dogs if he could, and a son who has just decided dogs are boring. I feel your pain.” Robert said and they both laughed.

“There is a reptile fair in Hotten in a few weeks. It’ll mostly be people in the business trying to sell their product to pet stores and the like, but there will be breeders too and a chance to get some more information. I can get free tickets through the surgery.” Jamie offered.

“Alright. Why not. It can’t hurt to just get some more information.”

When he got home later that day and told Seb about the fair, the boy hugged him and declared him the best dad ever, while Aaron gave him a concerned look.

“It’s just a fair ok? We haven’t decided anything. It’s just to take a look around and get some more information. That’s it.” Robert reminded him but Seb didn’t listen.

“A fair?” Aaron asked after Seb had run up the stairs to clear space for his new pet in his room.

“I talked to Jamie earlier. He said some of those lizards make good pets for kids… and it’ll be good to get some more information before we decide anything.”

“Yeah… I suppose you’re right.” Aaron sighed.

“You were looking forward to finally getting a dog weren’t you?” Robert asked. He knew his husband better than anyone.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Only to the trained eye.”

Aaron shook his head and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“At least Ruby is still on my team. She still likes doggies.”

“And you know what Seb’s like. He’ll have found something else by the time this fair is happening and won’t even want to go anymore. Remember that time he wanted a goat because he’d seen babies at the farm they went to with school?”

“He didn’t rearrange the garden to make room for a goat pen though. I think he’s more determined this time.”

It turned out Aaron was right. Seb had marked the day of the fair on his calendar and counted down the days, as well as constantly bombard his parents with reptile facts.

“Did you know a salamander can just drop its tail and grow a new one?”

“Really now?” Aaron said, trying his best to sound interested. He didn’t want to dampen Seb’s enthusiasm but still wished the boy had set his sights on a different kind of pet.

They were on their way to the reptile fair and Seb was like a ball of nerves and excitement in the backseat.

“And snakes grow out of their skin and take it off and you have a whole snake. Like a jacket.”

“That’s interesting.” Robert commented. “Did uncle Jamie tell you that?”

Seb nodded.

“He showed me a snake jacket. Granddad wasn’t happy with him.”

Aaron bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. The only person less thrilled about Jamie’s new speciality than he and Robert, was Paddy. His fear of horses was nothing compared to how he felt about reptiles.

Robert considered it an excellent argument to actually get Seb some kind of lizard as pet. 

At the fair they met up with Jamie who took them straight to a booth about reptile housing and healthcare. They talked to the owner and asked some questions about costs and difficulties in caring for lizards.

The booth had no animals, so Seb got bored quickly and tried to get his parents to come along to find one that did.

Eventually he got his wish when Jamie introduced them to a friend from university who had a booth with various terrariums with bearded dragons of all sizes.

He let Seb hold a few different ones and answered some questions from Robert and Aaron.

“What’s this one’s name?” Seb asked, petting the dragon in his lap like it was a tiny dog.

“It doesn’t really have a name yet. Why don’t you think of one?”

“Is it a boy or girl?”

“I’m pretty sure she’s a girl.” The guy told Seb who nodded.

“I think… she should be called… Ruby.”

“You want to name this dragon after your sister?” Aaron asked laughingly.

“She won’t mind.” Seb told them and Aaron dropped his head on Robert’s shoulder in resignation.

They spent the better part of the afternoon wandering around the convention centre, talking to various stall holders and Seb getting more and more excited with every animal he saw.

By the time they made their way home, he’d worn himself out so much, he fell asleep in the car before they’d even properly left the car park.

“So… what do you think?” Aaron asked Robert. They hadn’t talked much during the afternoon but they’d both seen how excited Seb had been.

“I don’t know.” Robert sighed. “He did like those bearded dragons a lot. And the guy said he could help us out to get started.

Aaron nodded.

“And Jamie is just down the road if we need help too.”

“And Paddy won’t visit as often because he’s scared of them. So really, it’s a win for everyone.” Robert said, only half joking.

Aaron laughed and shook his head.

“Bastard.”

\---

“Happy birthday to you.” Robert sang as he walked into Seb’s bedroom, followed by Aaron with Ruby on his hip.

It was a few weeks after their day at the reptile fair, and the morning of Seb’s 8th birthday. They’d made a deal with him that he had to stay in his room until they came to get him to give him his present.

“I can’t believe you’re 8 already. I still remember when you were born. You were so tiny, you fit in the crook of my arm. Your head was smaller than the palm of my hand.” Robert reminisced, stroking Seb’s hair out of his face. He leaned down to kiss the top of his head and sat down on the bed next to him while Aaron did the same.

“You’re getting so big.” He commented. “Happy birthday, mate. Are you ready for your surprise?”

Seb nodded eagerly.

“Can I go downstairs now?”

“In a minute.”

Robert pulled a sleep mask from his pocket and put it on Seb’s head, but not covering his eyes just yet.

“That’s to keep it a surprise a little longer.” He explained. “We’ll go downstairs when you put that on and when we tell you, you can look, you can take it off ok?”

“Ok!” Seb agreed and pulled down the mask. “Can we go now?”

The four of them carefully made their way downstairs and they made Seb sit down in the arm chair, while Aaron put Ruby down on the sofa.

“Ok we’ll count to three and then you can take the mask off.” Robert instructed him. “And no peeking before three.”

Seb nodded and Robert and Aaron shared a look. Aaron nodded and Robert turned back to Seb.

“Ok, are you ready? One, two… three. Take the mask off.”

Seb yanked the mask off his head and blinked a few times.

“Where is my present?” he asked when he only saw his parents and his sister.

“Right here.” Aaron said, stepping away to reveal a small animal travel crate. He put it in Seb’s lap. “Open it.”

Seb opened the carrier and screamed.

“Is it real?”

Yeah mate. All real, all yours.”

He reached in and carefully lifted the bearded dragon out of the carrier.

“Uncle Jamie is putting the finishing touches to his new home for us and then he’s going to bring it over. And then we’ll find a good spot for it and he’s going to be living with us.” Robert explained to Seb who was barely listening.

“So now all you have to do is think of a name for your new friend.” Aaron told him. “Just no naming him after relatives ok? That’s too confusing.”

“I think I will name him… Muffin.”

“Alright. Good name.” Aaron said, stroking the dragon with one finger. “Welcome to your new home, Muffin.”


End file.
